Steven Evans
When Steven Evans joined Texas A&M University in 2018, he brought nearly three-decades of natural resource experience with him ranging from wildlife management and consulting to the direct management of more than 15,000 acres of Texas rangelands.
In his current role of lecturer in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, RWFM, Evans teaches six core courses including vegetation management, rangeland inventory and monitoring, range analysis and management planning, as well as portions of the department’s two-week immersive field camp.
“Steven teaches many of our rangeland classes from the perspective of ‘I have been there,’” said James Cathey, Ph.D., RWFM professor and associate director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. “He is a great teacher who invests in student success and brings an element of realism to the classroom based on his professional experiences.”
Cathey also credits Evans with efforts to strengthen the two-year associate of applied science degree in wildlife management at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde prior to joining Texas A&M.
“I really don’t believe I could deliver a true land management education to students without having the management experience I have been blessed to have,” Evans said. “Growing up on various ranches and managing ranches for over 21 years has helped me deliver natural resource management knowledge to students because I have been fortunate to have lived it on a daily basis.”
In addition to a variety of committee service including the Texas A&M AgriLife Herbicide Use Committee, the Range Science Education Council and the RWFM Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, Evans advises the Texas A&M Range Club and coaches the Undergraduate Range Management Exam Team.
“I feel very humbled to help train the next generation of land stewards in science-based management for the state of Texas and beyond,” Evans said. “I really enjoy the relationships I build with students through instructing, coaching and traveling to professional meetings.”
This spring, he received the RWFM Excellence in Teaching Award.
“While the award is fantastic, what means the most to me is the amount of effort put forth by my colleagues and past students to nominate me,” Evans said.
Outside of the classroom, Evans has lent his expertise to the Texas Legislature’s Natural Resources Joint Committee and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. He is a member of the Society for Range Management and Texas Section Society for Range Management and has held leadership roles and served on working groups within both the state and national sections.
Evans earned a Bachelor of Science degree in rangeland ecology and management from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science degree in rangeland ecosystem science from Colorado State University.
He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management from Texas A&M with a project focused on rangeland management pedagogy and the development of an experiential science-based rangeland curriculum.
